A recent post here discussed some explosive allegations about the Veteran’s Administration, including some allegations that errors made by doctors and other healthcare professionals working with the VA were not reported to the appropriate licensing agencies. With Veteran’s Day having occurred recently, it appears that at least two members of Congress were inspired to act on the allegations involving the VA.
According to a recent report, two U.S. Senators – one Democrat and one Republican – have proposed legislation to make it mandatory for the VA to report discipline handed down to medical professionals to state licensing boards within 30 days of the action taking place. Moreover, the legislation will also require the VA to keep those reports in the agency’s records permanently.
When the allegations about mistreatment of veterans began to come out a couple of years ago, most people were probably in disbelief. How could one of our country’s most important agencies – the one in charge of caring for veterans who have fought and suffered for their country – have made such disastrous doctor errors and other instance of medical malpractice?
Unfortunately, like with most things concerning the government, the road toward fixing these problems will likely be long and bumpy. But, with the recent report noting that at least two U.S. Senators are inclined to take action in a bipartisan fashion, perhaps some of the first steps toward positive change are on the way. However, veterans who have already suffered due to medical malpractice may need to consider exploring further legal options.
Source: USA Today, “Senators author bill forcing VA to report more problem medical providers, faster,” Donovan Slack, Nov. 9, 2017
